Structure for a pan and container incorporating such a pan

ABSTRACT

Structure ( 8 ) of a pan for containing foodstuffs and the like, comprising a delimitation rim ( 9 ) to delimit at least one introduction opening ( 10 ) to introduce said products into said pan, and a hollow body ( 11 ) extending from said delimitation rim ( 9 ) so as to define a housing chamber ( 12 ) communicating with said introduction opening to house said products. Said hollow body in turn comprises rigid supporting means ( 13 ) to support said body, and lightened coating means ( 16 ) to coat said body so as to limit said pan&#39;s overall weight. Finally, the invention also refers to a structure of a container incorporating the mentioned pan.

The present invention refers to the structure of a pan and container incorporating such a pan for containing foodstuffs and the like. The invention finds particular, while not exclusive application in the production of plastic packaging materials destined for the conservation sector, the dairy products branch and so on.

The containers used for the conservation of the products characteristic of these industrial sectors are normally rigid, made of a plastic material and essentially constituted of a mutually connectible lid and pan. In particular, the pan is traditionally fitted with a boundary rim to delimit at least one introduction opening to introduce said products into said pan, and a hollow body extending from said boundary rim so as to define a housing chamber communicating with said introduction opening to house said products.

The most important drawback found in the containers produced according the prior art described above is the fact that their cost has a considerable and growing bearing on the sales price of the products they contain, especially if their sales price is slight. Said cost in fact depends on that of the plastic material employed for their production, which is notoriously high. In any case, said cost has considerably grown due to the progressive price increases lately recorded for crude oil. Said costs are also burdened with the growing recycling costs imposed by the producers of said containers and calculated based on the volume of plastic material employed in their production.

The aim of the present invention is to set up a structure of a pan and container incorporating such a pan for containing foodstuffs and the like, able of solving the drawbacks found in the prior art.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to set up a container of an economical type. Another object of the invention is to set up a container able of allowing it to be stacked, both in an empty and in a filled condition. A further object of the invention is to set up a container able of attaining long conservation periods for the foodstuffs contained in the same. Not the last object of the invention is to set up a container able of being produced using the processes and the injection molding equipments employed for traditional plastic materials.

This aim, as well as these and other objects which will become better evident in the following, are achieved by the structure of a pan and container incorporating said pan for containing foodstuffs and the like according to the attached claims.

According to first features of the invention, the structure of the pan for containing foodstuffs and the like comprises a delimitation rim to delimit at least one introduction opening for introducing said products into said pan, and a hollow body extending from said delimitation rim so as to define a housing chamber communicating with said introduction opening to house said products. Said hollow body in turn comprises rigid supporting means to support said body, and lighted coating means to coat said supporting means so as to limit the overall weight of said pan. This solution allows to set up a container of an economical type, according to the invention's aim. The use of lightened coating means in fact allows achieving considerable savings in the plastic material employed, and thus a notable economic advantage over traditional containers. This solution further allows producing a container able of being stacked both in an empty and in a filled condition, according to an object intended by the invention. The use of rigid supporting means in fact allows achieving a container squashing strength suitable for stacking and comparable to that of traditional containers. According to second features of the invention, said lightened coating means are constituted of a film capable of preventing the contamination of said products on the part of contaminants outside said pan. This solution therefore allows to set up a container able of achieving long periods of conservation of the foodstuffs as intended by the invention. According to yet other features of the invention, the structure of the pan and of the container is producible from plastic materials. This solution thus allows to set up a container according to the methods and by using the traditional injection molding equipments for plastic materials, in accordance with the objects to be achieved as intended by the invention.

Further features and advantageous aspects of the invention will be more clearly evident from the, description of a preferred form of embodiment of the structure of a pan and container according to the invention, as illustrated for indicative yet non-limiting purposes in the enclosed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a prospective front view of the structure of a pan according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a topside ground view of the structure of the pan of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a side view of the structure of the pan of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 represents a view of a vertical section, according to the dotted line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2, of the pan of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 represents a view of a horizontal section, according to the dotted line V-V shown in FIG. 3 of the structure of the pan of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 represents a prospective front view of the partially incomplete pan structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 finally represents a topside ground view of the above coating means.

With reference to the Figures in the enclosed figures and initially to FIG. 1, the structure of the pan for containing foodstuff products and the like (not shown) is in the overall designated by the reference number 8. This pan structure includes above all a delimitation rim 9 to delimit at least one introduction opening 10 to introduce such products in the pan 8.

This pan structure 8 also comprises a hollow body 11 that extends from said delimitation rim 9 to define a housing chamber 12 communicating with said introduction opening 10 to house said products. In detail, said hollow body 11 presents a truncated pyramidal shape. Said hollow body 11 in turn comprises rigid supporting means, indicated in the overall by the reference number 13, to support said body 11. In particular, said rigid sustaining means 13 comprise supporting elements 14 set up vertically and connecting elements 15 set up horizontally to connect said supporting elements 14. In even greater detail, said supporting elements 14 are set up in an angular manner, and said connecting means 15 are set up in a topside manner. Finally, said hollow body 11 comprises lightened coating means indicated in the overall by the reference number 16, to coat said supporting means 13 so as to limit the overall weight of said pan 8. Said lightened coating means 16 also define the floor 18 and the lateral walls 19 of said pan 8. Said floor 18 and said lateral walls 18 are in turn defined by the central area 20 and by the peripheral areas 21 of said lightened coating means 16. Said lightened coating means 16 are advantageously constituted of a film suitable for preventing said products from being contaminated on the part of contaminating agents outside said pan 8. The structure of the container (not shown) for containing foodstuff products and the like (not shown) comprises a mutually connectible pan and lid, where said pan comprises one or more of the mentioned characteristics. Finally, said structure of the pan and of the container are made of a plastic material.

It has in practice been verified that the structure of the pan and of the container for containing foodstuff products and the like achieves its expected aim and objects by overcoming the drawbacks found in the prior art. Said lightened coating means in fact allow to set up a container of an economical type. The rigid supporting means also allow to set up a container suitable for stacking in both an empty and a filled condition. The use of coating means constituted of a non-contaminating film also allows to set up a container able of achieving extended conservation periods. Finally, the use of injection-molded plastic material to create both the pan and container allows employing both the processes and the injection molding equipments for plastic material already known.

In a practical embodiment, the materials employed, the shapes, dimensions and executive details may differ from those indicated above as long as they're technically equivalent, depending on the requirements and needs.

In particular, said pan and said container incorporating said pan may be realized in any shape and have any capacity. 

1. A structure of a pan for containing foodstuffs and the like, comprising a delimitation rim for delimiting at least one introduction opening to introduce said products in said pan, and a hollow body extending from said delimitation rim to delimit a housing chamber that communicates with said introduction opening to house said products, wherein said hollow body comprises rigid supporting means for supporting said body, and lightened coating means to coat said supporting means so as to limit the overall weight of said pan.
 2. The structure, according to claim 1, wherein said hollow body presents a truncated pyramidal shape.
 3. The structure, according to claim 1, wherein said rigid supporting means comprise supporting elements set up vertically and connecting elements set up horizontally to connect said supporting elements.
 4. The structure, according to claim 3, wherein said supporting elements are set up at an angular position and that said connecting elements are set up in a topside position.
 5. The structure, according to claim 1, wherein said lightened coating means comprise peripheral rims made adherent to said supporting means.
 6. The structure, according to claim 5, wherein said lightened coating means define the floor and the lateral walls of said pan.
 7. The structure, according to claim 6, wherein said floor and said lateral walls are defined by the central zone and by the peripheral zones of said lightened coating means, respectively.
 8. The structure, according to claim 6, wherein said lightened coating means are constituted of a film suitable for preventing said products from being contaminated on the part of contaminating agents outside said pan.
 9. A structure of a container for containing foodstuffs and the like, comprising a mutually connectable lid and a pan, wherein said pan comprises the features of claim
 1. 10. The structure of container according to claim 9, wherein it is producible from plastic materials.
 11. The structure of pan according to claim 1, wherein it is producible from plastic materials. 